Paying Sales Tax Online

There are a lot of taxes out there. If you don’t pay the right taxes, by the right deadline, you’ll pay fees in addition to the taxes. No one wants to pay more.  Sales tax is one tax that seems to consistently sneak up on people. Everyone knows income tax is due April 15th–that one’s easy! But how about sales tax? Do you pay quarterly, weekly, annually, or other? Is there an easier way?

Let’s make paying sales tax a little easier by paying online! Here is a video from the TX Comptroller to walk you through the steps of filing your sales tax.

The Time After The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

It’s that time again, folks: time to prepare for tax season! Before too many days of 2016 pass you by, follow the steps below to have the best, most stress-free, and punctual tax season yet!

Set Aside:

As you get documents in the mail over the next few weeks, you should create a place for them to collect before you send them in to your CPA. Make it a place that is easy to access but out of the way, so the documents won’t be bothered. Remember to scan these or hand them in to us before February 15th for corporate returns and March 15th for personal returns. Here are some things you should keep an eye out for.

• W-2s
• 1099s
• End of year loan statements
• 1098s
• W-3s
• End of year statements from bank, especially with amount of money earned on savings accounts for the year
• Health insurance statements: don’t forget that legislation is changing all the time on this. Tax returns and bookkeeping are taking up more time to compensate for the new policies. You’re trying to figure this out and we’re here to help. We need to know how you received insurance, how much, by whom, which family members, and what dates, at least. Send us your insurance premiums, whether paid out of pocket, reported on your W-2, or paid from your company– the more information we have, the better.
• And more! If it looks important, it’s better to send it to us than not!

 

Write Down:

Before you forget, write down or gather together this important information that Sweeten CPA will need to complete your return:

• Total mileage for 2015!
• Business mileage
• Business expenditures from personal accounts
• And more! If you have any questions, shoot us an email

 

Happy Tax Season and we’ll see you soon!

 

How do I get a mileage deduction?

Mileage deductions can be difficult to understand when you’re recording your business expenses, but we can make it simple for you.

Actual Vs. Standard Mileage

In order to take any kind of deduction, the taxpayer is required to keep a written log of all miles driven and record how many were driven for business use and how many were driven for personal use. There are two options: actual auto expenses or the standard mileage deduction.

Since the standard mileage deduction is based on an average, in a large percentage of cases, using the mileage deduction produces a larger auto expense deduction than actual expenses. In order to use standard mileage, it must be used the first year the vehicle is placed in service.  After the first year, taxpayers can decide to use whichever method (actual or standard mileage) that has the highest amount of expense.

(Note: If the vehicle is leased, you must choose either standard or actual for the entire life of the lease.)

To get the actual auto expense deduction, the taxpayer must keep track of all maintenance, repairs, fuel, tires, insurance, registration fees, licenses, etc. and determine how much of that is attributable to the portion of the total miles driven that are business miles.

IRS 2014 Mileage Rates:

• 56 cents per mile for business miles driven
• 23.5 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

IRS 2015 Mileage Rates:

• 57.6 cents per mile for business miles driven
• 23 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

To take advantage of this deduction; a taxpayer must keep track of:

• All business miles driven for the year (in written form)
• Total miles driven for the year (in written form)

When can you NOT use the standard mileage rate?

• For commuting miles, which are the miles going from home to work and vice versa
• If your car is for hire, for instance a taxi cab
• If you use five or more cars at the same time for business, for instance a fleet operation
• If you have already counted the depreciation of the vehicle as a deduction or allowance

Note: Parking fees and tolls for the business are separately deductible, regardless of which deduction method is used.

Tax Break Extensions for 2014 Returns

At the end of 2014, the Senate approved HR 5771, or The Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, which passed by a landslide in the House early last month on December 3rd. This bill extended expiring tax provisions from the end of 2013 and 2014 for individuals and businesses whom Sweeten CPA service, so we wanted to keep our clients informed about what this means, specifically about which provisions are being extended:

• The threshold under Section 179 has been increased to its previous threshold of $500,000, from its diminished threshold of $25,000, allowing for the expensing of qualified asset purchases rather than the spreading out of those expenses over time through regular depreciation.
• Energy efficient renovations to your home, like more effective doors and windows for your home, are back under the previous rules with a 10% credit of the cost of the improvements, with a lifetime limit of $500.
• Energy efficient renovations to commercial property, like replacing existing energy systems with high efficiency systems, are back under the previous rules with a possible deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot.
• Other improvements, made to leased buildings, restaurant property, and retail establishments, are also back under the previous depreciation rule involving a 15 year straight-line depreciation method.
• For seniors, seventy and a half years or older, 2014 distributions from your IRA to charity are tax-free.
• Teachers can again claim above-the-line deductions of up to $250 for books and materials used in the classroom purchased out-of-pocket.
• Tuition-payers can again claim above-the-line deductions of up to $4,000 for higher education expenses.
•  Cost of new property purchased or used in 2014 can be expensed by 50%, using the Special Depreciation rule.

Enjoy these extensions and if you’re confused, don’t worry: Sweeten CPA can manage these changes in your tax return this year!

“What will my raise do to my taxes?”

Good question! The answer? If only it were easy to figure!

Getting a raise, promotion, or accepting a new position often means more money in your pocket. But it can also mean a change in your taxes.  (In rare cases a salary increase can actually mean less net pay!) The IRS has a dizzying amount of tax and deduction thresholds–think of it as an income level trigger–so that it is almost impossible to remember each one, or more importantly when you have reached and passed one.

Until now!

Presenting our extremely handy IRS threshold charts! These charts give the 2013 thresholds (the 2014 ones still unavailable) in ascending order.

“So you’re an expat? What’s that?” Tax implications of living and working abroad

An expatriate–or expat for short– is just fancy lingo for someone who is living in a different country than their upbringing. And while the idea of being an expat is thrilling for some (What? Living and working in Paris, London or Tokyo?  Yes, please!) it will almost always mark the beginning of needing a legit CPA to help with your taxes. Why? Because United States citizens pay taxes on worldwide earned income. What does that mean? It means that Uncle Sam gets his share even if you live, work, earn money, and pay taxes on that money in a different country. The waters of expat taxes can get murky with complexity, so for now let’s just get our toes wet (a.k.a., seek further competent help if you are going to take the plunge).

Business Travel: What can I deduct?

The general rule: whatever expense is necessary and ordinary in making money for your business is a legitimate business expense.  Especially in today’s global economy, this involves traveling.  Many of our fabulous clients ask us which expenses come under the tax-deductible business travel umbrella and how to claim them.  First, if you are a business owner, these expenses for you and your employees will be an expense to your business on your company’s books.  However if you are an employee and your employer does not reimburse you for your business travel (most will), hang on to the receipts and hand them over to your accountant as they can be itemized deductions on your personal taxes.  In either case, and as with anything, the key to maximizing this deduction is to keep great records.

How to amend a tax return

You did it! Your taxes are finally in the books for another year. And then it happens. You get a statement from your (apparently forgotten) investment account. Or you hear from a neighbor that your son’s Lasik eye surgery may be tax-deductible as a medical expense. Now what!? Don’t panic or worry an IRS agent will show up to imprison your first-born child. We have assembled step-by-step instructions for you to follow.

Claim your home office as a business expense: The home office deduction

  Tax season is upon us. That nervous sense of dread is pitting in your stomach; Lady Liberty is waving signs that say “Tax Special” on street corners; Turbo Tax is stocked, it seems, in every store.  And if you are like most business owners, you are scrambling for any missed tax deductions. There is one very helpful deduction that we at Sweeten CPA are always sure our clients who can take it do take it! It’s the home office deduction. (Another deduction we always recommend our clients to take when possible is the business mileage deduction. Read more about that by clicking here.)

So let’s get right to it.

Maximize Your Tax Deductions Before the End of the Year!

You know tax season is fast approaching when you constantly see and hear ads in which CPAs promise to save you lots of money! We at Sweeten CPA love you, our clients, (even if you aren’t our client, we’ll share the love!) and want to put in our 2 cents on how to maximize your 2011 deductions before the year ends. You’re welcome, and get to it!

If you itemize your deductions–meaning you count up various allowable deductions that will add up to more than the standard deduction (click here for 2011 standard deduction rates)–these suggestions will be possibilities for you.